Panel section



Oct. 28, 1941. J. P; SPECK v PANEL SECTION Filed Feb. 10, 1941 /5//// Jazzy Patented Oct. 28, 1941 PANEL SECTION John P. Speck, Tifi'in, Ohio, assignor to The Tiflin Art Metal Company, Tiffin, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,276

1 Claim.

This invention relates to reinforcing means for panel sections of the type used in sheet metal faced billboards.

These sections are frequently of considerable length and usually include a metal-bar frame of rectangular form with the sheet metal facing of a section stretched across the frame and secured at its edges thereto. Due to the size of the sections, they are difficult to handle without twisting and warping and the frame sides may have a tendency in some instances to bow inwardly, thus preventing matching and close parallel side edge fitting of one section to another.

The object of the invention is the provision of a simple reinforcing for panel sections of this character which imparts strength and rigidity to such sections, is easily applied and enhances the practicability and commercial value of the sections.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and one embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a rear side view of a panel section equipped with a reinforcing means embodying the invention and with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a panel sheet and 2 a frame of a panel section. This frame, in the present instance, is of elongated rectangular form and is preferably composed of metal bars of channel form with their channels facing outward. The sheet I, preferably of sheet metal, is wrapped at its edges around the frame bars, as is customary in sections of this character.

The reinforcing means for a panel section comprises one or more cross members 3 disposed at the back of the sheet, to which it is secured by electric welding, or in any other suitable manner, and has its ends attached to the respective side bars of the frame. One or more of these reinforcing members may .be employed, depending on the size of the section, and each comprises a stiff body part 4 having a base flange forming side flanges 5 for seating fiatwise against the rear side of the sheet I and end tongues 6, which latter are intended tobe bent up at right angles to the sheet I and to bear fiatwise against the inner sides or web portions of the frame bars 2 at the respective side edges of the section. These tongues 6 extend up within the lapping terminal edge portions of the sheet I, and are preferably pressed close to the inner sides of the respective side bars by said edge portions. The tongues 6 and lapping edges of the sheet I maybe secured to the frame bars by spot welding, as at 1, if desired, thus making a more rigid structure.

The cross-bars '3 are preferably formed of sheet metal and the body portions 4 thereof may be provided by pressing a portion of the metal outward into V-form, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 2. The body 4 is preferably substantially coextensive in length with the space between the frame bars, so as to impart considerable strength to the panel sheet 1 intermediate such bars. In the present instance, the ends of the body portion 4 of each bar are of tapered or beveled form. It is also preferable, for the purpose of strength, to provide each side flange 5 of the bar lengthwise thereof with a ridge 8.

I wish it understood that the device embodying the invention is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

A panel section for sheet metal faced billboards comprising a rectangular channel bar frame with the closed sides of the frame bars facing inwardly of the frame and a sheet metal panel sheet mounted across the frame with opposing edges wrapped around respective side bars with their terminal edge portions extending across the closed sides of the bars and terminating adjacent to the inner edges of said sides, one or more reinforcing cross-bars for the section including a body part U-form in cross-section having a base flange forming side edge flanges seating flat against the rear side of the'sheet and fixedly secured thereto at intervals lengthwise of the flanges and also forming a tongue at each end projecting at a rearward angle relative to said side flanges, said tongues fitting between the closed sides of the respective side bars and the lapping edge portion of the sheet in side abutment with each and fixedly attached at least to the side bars.

JOHN P. SPECK. 

